68% women & children anaemic in tea gardens: AICC targets Modi over 'selective' Assam visit

Jorhat, April 4: Raising serious concerns over the health condition of tea garden communities in Assam, All India Congress Committee (AICC) National Secretary Divya Maderna on Friday alleged that nearly 68 per cent of women and children working in tea estates are suffering from anaemia, highlighting what she termed as a “deep public health crisis” in the state.

Addressing a press conference at the Jorhat District Congress Bhawan, Maderna questioned the State and Central governments’ commitment towards improving the living conditions of tea workers, particularly women, who form the backbone of the tea industry.

“Nearly 68 per cent of women and children in Assam’s tea gardens are anaemic. This is not just a statistic but it reflects a grave failure in ensuring basic nutrition and healthcare for one of the most vulnerable sections of society,” she said.

She stressed that despite repeated claims of development, there has been little focus on awareness, nutrition, or medical outreach in tea garden areas.

“Are there any structured awareness programmes to educate women about nutrition? Are there sufficient health facilities in these areas? The answer is no. Women continue to work in harsh conditions without access to even basic medical care,” Maderna added.

The Congress leader further alleged that tea garden workers remain deprived of adequate healthcare infrastructure, forcing many to travel long distances to towns for treatment.

“Public health centres are either absent or poorly equipped. For something as basic as a check-up, people have to leave their villages and travel far. This neglect is unacceptable,” she said.

Criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to a tea garden, Maderna claimed that the estate was owned by the Chief Minister, and questioned why other tea gardens facing real challenges were not visited.

“The Prime Minister should have visited ordinary tea gardens to understand the ground reality. A curated visit does not reflect the everyday struggles of workers,” she remarked.

Linking health issues to economic distress, she pointed out that low wages continue to exacerbate malnutrition among tea workers.

“The promise of increasing daily wages to Rs 351 remains unfulfilled. With such meagre earnings, how can workers afford nutritious food? Anaemia is a direct consequence of this economic neglect,” she said.

Maderna also accused the government of focusing more on “propaganda than policy,” stating that real issues such as maternal health, nutrition, and rural healthcare have been sidelined.

“For the past decade, governance has revolved around advertisements and divisive politics, while ground realities have been ignored. The situation is so dire that even basic indicators of health and development are deteriorating,” she alleged.

She further claimed that Assam’s overall healthcare system is under strain.

“When a child is born in Assam today, they are already burdened with a debt of around Rs 57,000 due to the state’s rising loans. At the same time, critical issues like maternal health and anaemia are not being addressed with urgency,” she said.

Calling for immediate intervention, Maderna emphasised the need for targeted health programmes in tea garden areas. “There must be dedicated nutrition drives, regular health check-ups, and awareness campaigns for women. Without this, the cycle of poor health and poverty will continue,” she asserted.